Taking a break

First, thanks to all that have contributed, commented, or even read my rants, whether one agrees or disagrees. However, at this time, a couple different  issues have arisen in my personal life in a very bad way. If I ever could think straight while writing this blog, and no doubt opinions vary on that, I can't now. Without getting into details, other more important things currently have my mind totally occupied. Hopefully, one way or the other, there will be "closure" on these matters soon, but until then I can't even begin to think of anything to write about. So I'm going to take some time off from my usual nonsense here until circumstances and destiny play themselves out. Sometimes it just is what it is and we have to deal with it. I'll get back to this as soon as I'm able. Thanks for the kind words, Deb and Chrissie. They mean more to me than you know.....

Detroit updates. Not a pretty picture

Let's take a hard, objective look at how the 4 major professional sports teams in Detroit stack up right about now.

The Red Wings, perennial contenders, were the first team eliminated in this year's Stanley Cup playoffs. Many are concerned whether 42 year old future Hall of Famer Nick Lidstrom will return for yet another season. It doesn't matter. Despite their success over the last couple decades, the Wings' style of play is getting rather stale, they don't seem to have any up and coming impact players from the "farm", and I suspect things will only get worse in the next few years, as other teams continue to pass them by.

The Detroit Tigers started out the season with a bang, but are now in a slump. It's a long season, and nobody knows how it will all play out. Objectively, it could be said they have one dominating pitcher, two fearsome sluggers, and the rest is a crap shoot. Maybe other pitchers and players shine on any given day -- and maybe they don't. The Tigers won the AL central division by a wide margin last year and are expected to do the same this year, but unless they're successful in October, and march on to win the World Series, how much does all the other hype during the regular season really matter anyway? Likely even the staunchest Tiger fans couldn't care less right now as to what happened last season. Hope springs eternal, and if certain things fall their way -- they have a shot at pulling it off this year. No more, and no less. There's several other pretty good teams out there too. We'll see.

The Detroit Pistons started the season horrendously, but have rebounded, no pun intended, to be almost, but not quite, respectable. Sometimes they play well. Other times they stink up the gym. They have a new coach in Lawrence Frank, and maybe it will take him a year or two to get everybody on the same page, so to speak. Regardless, they have a major problem that coaching can't solve. While they have an abundance of young, hot-shot guards, they lack a "front court" presence, as in big guys, that can dominate the "paint". Until they get that -- they're going nowhere. The best thing that could happen to the Pistons would be if an NBA draft lottery ball popped up and gave them Anthony Davis, out of Kentucky. They wouldn't become an elite team overnight, far from it, but it would be a step in the right direction. At best, the Pistons would appear to be at least a few years away from being championship contenders.

The Detroit Lions just drafted an offensive tackle from Iowa with their first NFL pick. Assuming Riley Reiff turns out better than Tony Mandarich did, perhaps that will work out in the long run. Having another quality offensive tackle in the "pipeline" to replace ageing veterans might be a good idea. Yet one could make the point that the Lions have much more pressing needs elsewhere. After all, QB Matthew Stafford threw for over 5000 yards last year, one of a select few to ever do so. Yes, the NFL is getting pass-happier as every year goes by, but Stafford, Megatron to throw to or not, doesn't put up that stat unless his existing linemen were protecting him fairly well. Again, take an objective look at the Lions, and what do you see? Besides a really good QB, a freak wide receiver, an over-hyped safety that might or might not start for any other NFL team, and an abundance of brutes at defensive tackle, what do they have? Needs at almost every position. Sure, the Lions went a respectable 10-6 last year, but they were nowhere near Super Bowl caliber. The eternal optimists say they're returning 21 of 22 starters from last year, with only cornerback Eric Wright having bailed for big money with the Tampa Bay Bucs. That's the classic glass half full/half empty routine. Half full means continuity. Half empty means they won't be good enough this year either. Hopefully, the Lions will draft other players in the later rounds that will make an impact on their team. But an offensive tackle in the first round is hardly a game changer and/or difference maker when it comes to the pursuit of the Lombardi trophy.

To sum it all up -- pro sports don't look so hot in Detroit right about now. Then again, it could be a lot worse. Like in Kansas City, or Oakland, or Cleveland.

Calvin Johnson and the John Madden curse

Congrats to Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions for having been voted onto the cover of John Madden's latest edition of his video football game. It seems he beat out Cam Newton in the finals to win the contest. Wait a minute. Cam Newton? How the hell did he ever make it to the finals? Hasn't he only been in the league for one year, and is currently the QB on a "nowhere" team?  Hmm. Come to think of it, the Lions haven't won squat since Eisenhower was President, so maybe that's a bad point. Nevermind.

Madden's video game is well known for its supposed "curse". Indeed, strange things have happened to many that were featured on its cover.

Barry Sanders. After being chosen, Sanders never played another game, instead opting to retire. Coincidence? Probably.

Michael Vick. The very next day after his video version hit the market, he suffered a broken leg. I think it would also be safe to say that Mr. Vick's career also took a turn for the worse regarding other matters.

Donovan McNabb. Torn ACL in his first post-video game.

Vince Young. He'd never missed a game from junior high all the way through to the NFL. Enter Madden. Bang. Right quadracep injury, and Young's never seemed to be the same since.

Brett Favre. The all-time record holder for consecutive games played at QB. Here comes Madden. There goes Favre. Torn bicep ligament.

Calvin Johnson says he doesn't believe in curses, and I hope he's right. Yet consider -- every time there's a Friday the 13th, people expect the worst. Most people have seen the movie "Apollo 13", which was a true saga based on a failed moon mission, where the astronauts were lucky to escape with their lives. And guess what version of Madden's video game Calvin is going to be featured on? Yep. The 13th. If there's such a thing as tempting fate -- this might not bode well for the Megatron.

Even if all the above can be written off as coincidence, a couple other things are beyond doubt.

Johnson's in the last year of his contract, and his projected salary is about $22,500,000 for the upcoming season. He's already regarded as a superstar in Detroit, and despite the NFL salary cap reality, fans would be outraged if the Lions let him get away. His agent, one James "Bus" Cook, certainly knows that.

Shortly, when the new video game sells a few bazillion copies, as it likely will, the Megatron will reach an entire new dimension in fame.

Johnson has said he's glad to be on the Madden cover because it will be good for Detroit, the Lions, their fans, and his foundation in Atlanta, which reaches out to help many folks in need. He's also considering expanding his foundation into the Detroit area to do even more charitable work -- and that would be a good thing.

But there's another reality. The Lions' front office had been trying to figure out a way to keep Johnson while still having enough money under the salary cap to pay a lot of other quality players they need to be a Super Bowl quality team. "Franchise tag" or not, they were in a bind. Now, with the Madden game, the Megatron is about to go global.

And somewhere, Bus Cook is likely salivating. There's leverage, and then there's holding all the marbles.

Until all that gets sorted out, Johnson would be well advised not to step on any cracks, walk under ladders, and make sure the mirrors in his house are securely fastened. With apologies to the SPCA, a rabbit's foot might not be a bad idea either. Maybe he should even eat Lucky Charms for breakfast every day.

He signed on for Madden the 13th -- and counter measures couldn't hurt.

Ya never know.

 

Ron Artest's latest thuggery

Yeah, I know. He changed his name to Metta World Peace a while back, but it just doesn't come off the same as a few other guys -- like Lew Alcindor becoming Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Cassius Clay being universally accepted as Mohammed Ali. It just seems -- I don't know -- hokey -- or something.

Regardless, it wouldn't have mattered if he'd changed his name to Mother Teresa, given what he did to Okla City Thunder guard James Harden. Namely, knocking Harden into nowhere land with an elbow that looked like something straight out of a mixed martial arts cage match. It happened on the court, in the middle of a game, in front of the crowd, cheerleaders, other players, refs, coaches, and probably a dozen or so TV cameras that were rolling -- and taping.

Some of the LA Laker faithful have said it was an accident. MWP was merely being over-exuberant by swinging his arms over a dunk he had just made, and didn't realize the proximity of Harden. To which I say -- baloney, hogwash, balderdash, and get real. Every NBA player, much less a seasoned vet like Artest, is acutely tuned in to where the other players are on the court. All those "no-look" or seemingly "blind" passes don't happen by coincidence. If that's not enough, consider Harden had his hands on Artest less than a second before the elbow was thrown. Ron-Ron HAD to know he was standing next to him.

Yet there are those that claim MWP has been a model citizen since he arrived in LA, and perhaps he has, so he should be cut a little slack. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he'd "seen the light" and changed his ways after the Malice at the Palace a few years back. Given what he did to Harden -- it doesn't matter. There's a lot of people in the world that have been law-abiding and model citizens for their entire lives, not so much as a parking ticket -- but if they commit a violent act for whatever reason -- they're still going to jail. Depending on the severity of the injuries inflicted, sometimes just through negligence, years behind bars can result.

This is not to say WMP should be shipped off to the "big house" for what he did, but punishment was certainly in order. The NBA handed him a 7 game suspension. That will cost him a few hundred thousand dollars, which to most people is a lot of money, but not to an NBA guy. Monetarily, it's a slap on the wrist. Those who have purely basketball agendas are already debating what effect his absence will have on the Lakers during the upcoming first round of the playoffs.

Reality check. After the elbow happened, the refs called WMP for a "flagrant 2" foul, which means a deliberate attempt to injure, results in immediate ejection from the game, and the incident will be subject to league review for further disciplinary action. Evidently, the league was convinced it was deliberate, hence the suspension. Does anyone who's seen the tape and is not a Laker fan dispute that?

In the meantime, other than in Okla City, Harden doesn't seem to matter. He damn well should. Not only is he every bit as valuable to the Thunder as Artest is to the Lakers, let's not lose sight of the much more important fact that he's the guy that got hurt. A concussion, severity unknown. As is the nature of such injuries, Harden's timetable to return to action perfectly healthy is also unknown. No pun intended, but even in this age of modern medical science, concussions remain somewhat of a grey area. Nobody knows for sure how long the symtoms may linger. It could be a few days, or it could be a very long time.

Artest will be back for the second round of the playoffs, if the Lakers get that far, and likely they will. Harden may or may not be ready to play by then.

Over the years, be it the NBA, NHL, NFL, and perhaps even some preps and college sports, many have debated what sort of punishment should be handed down to the perpetrator when an opposing player is injured. I submit there are two different scenarios, and how they should be treated.

First, sometimes accidents just happen. Given the speed and contact of some sports, injuries are inevitable. Sometimes they can be career-ending, or even tragic. The guy that inflicted the damage was just playing hard, Murphy's Law popped up, and something went horribly wrong. He had no desire or intent for things to turn out like they did. Given the same play to do over, he wouldn't do what he did. While we can sympathize with the injured player, that's just part of the game, and let whatever the officials call at the time be good enough.

Then there's the deliberate ones. I dare say most sports fans have seen a few of those as well. They knew full what they were doing, with malice and aforethought, as they say, and it was no accident when they caused an injury to an opponent. A different set of rules should apply to these people.

Here's my suggestion. When the evidence is overwhelming that the injury was intentional, then let the appropriate league officials take a long look at it and a hefty fine. Suspensions are another matter.

Artest got 7 games. Having been found guilty of "intent" by the league, in my opinion he should be suspended without pay until Harden is healthy enough to return to action, and then 7 MORE games. However long it takes -- it takes.

Some guys that are still playing have ended other guys' careers with intentional thuggery. When that happens, why not give them a lifetime ban as well? To let them stay out there and continue to draw obscene paychecks only gives them an opportunity, and perhaps the motive, to do it again to somebody else.

Championships, trophies, and parades are terrific things for their fans and communities. Many times not only the teams, but their followers, get caught up in  a "win at all cost" philosophy. They're quick to forget, if they ever cared at all, about some very bad things their heroes might have done to others along the way to get them there. While they celebrate their team's success, there might be a couple guys that are quietly re-habbing, with the hope of ever just playing again at the high level they once enjoyed.

And if their injuries were intentionally inflicted? Most have heard of Deuteronomy, Chapter 20, verse 21. Life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Why not games missed for games missed?  And THEN the additional suspension? If it's forever -- well -- they shouldn't have done that. Mine eye shalt not pity. Go get a real job now, if anybody will hire you.

THAT would stop the thuggery.

The New Orleans Saints and potential HUGE trouble

It seems like not that long ago, the Saints were the feel good story of the year. In the aftermath of the horrendous destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina, despite government ineptitude and political promises that were never kept, somehow the Saints became a ray of hope for their community. The people desperately needed something -- anything -- good to happen in their lives, so they looked to the Saints to provide it. In turn, the Saints were equally eager to give it to them. Shortly thereafter, as we all know, Drew Brees led the Saints on a glorious march to the Super Bowl Championship. The town was delirious with joy and, I dare say, down deep, even fans of opposing teams were happy for them, on some level. They finally caught a break, and hurray for them.

But the halo disappeared with the recent "bounty" thing. Those are no longer merely allegations. Hard evidence has been brought to light, many have admitted their roles, and suspensions, fines, and other punishments have been handed down from the Commissioner's office. The players involved are still awaiting "sentencing", and that will likely be coming soon. While called the Saints, it appears they had a few devils amongst them in recent years. Close the book on the above-mentioned feel good story. It was over.

Now, new allegations have arisen claiming the Saints had somehow "bugged" their stadium, over a period of years, whereby they could listen in on the conversations of their football opponents. Front and center is one Mickey Loomis, the general manager of the Saints. Loomis was just recently suspended for several games in the upcoming season over his involvment with the bounty thing. He vehemently denies the current allegations, as do other Saints' spokespeople.

I hope Mick and the Saints are vindicated of this, because if it turns out to be true, the ramifications will make the bounty system look like swiping a lollipop from a candy store. Again, and I emphasize, IF this is eventually proven to have happened, it will absolutely explode on many levels, heretofore unknown in the history of sports.

Consider..... If the Saints had been "bugging" their opponents for years, that's not an isolated incident like the recent New England PatriotGate when they got busted for just filming, not listening, to an opposing team. They got hammered from the Commish. If true, the Saints will have gone way beyond "loss of institutional control", to the point of intentional corruption from the top down. Besides the obvious "cheating" factor, many would call into question the results of games in years past. Should they be forfeited? Should the Lombardi Trophy be taken away? It would be Roger Goodell's biggest nightmare. Handing down lifetime NFL bans for the culprits would be the easy part. But what would he do with Saints' owner Tom Benson? He was absolved as being unaware of the bounty system, but if this turns out to be true, did he not know about this either? If so, just what DOES he know about? As the owner, isn't he supposed to be ultimately responsible for what his employees do? Isn't the buck supposed to stop with him?

And that's just the football aspect of it. If these allegations turn out to be true, we're talking about illegal wire-tapping. That would be in violation of state and federal laws. Given the far reaching implications of such activities, the attorney general of Louisiana and the Justice Department might jump in. Congress could summon witnesses and hold another special session. The worst case scenario might result in subpoenas, juries, trials, and even eventual prison sentences. This could get very ugly.

The Saints won't come marching in. They'll be marching out.

I hope they didn't do it.

Brandon Inge and the Kool-Aid

Kool-Aid is a fine product, and countless millions of people have enjoyed it over the years. The following is in no way meant to suggest anything sinister about the product itself, but is merely a spoof on how others have used that brand name in the world of sports.

I haven't drank Kool-Aid since I was a kid, but that stuff must have been pretty potent the last few years. How else to explain what some fans and reporters come up with regarding their home teams and players?

We've all heard of such people "drinking too much Kool-Aid" regarding their perception of their local sports heroes, sometimes to the point of being laughable.

Such would seem to have been the case with Brandon Inge, of the Detroit Tigers. For about a decade, all the "homers" have been swilling the sweet stuff in a desperate attempt to find a reason -- ANY reason -- why Inge deserves a spot on the Tigers' roster.

Let's look back at reality. From the minute he arrived in the major leagues, he couldn't hit. He was a pretty good, but not spectacular, defensive third baseman. Then he did a stint as a catcher. He was passable there, but he still couldn't hit. He whined and cried his way back into playing third base. And guess what? He still couldn't hit.

Along the way, Inge did spot duty as an outfielder here and there as the supposed necessity arose. That's no big deal. Any high school player can catch fly balls and throw them back into the infield. That's not to disparage the real deal major league outfielders, whose range, arms, and other skills are extraordinary, but those guys don't make major league rosters unless they can -- yep -- you got it -- hit.

When Inge finally did get his hits, he wasn't exactly a "burner" on the basepaths. Actually, he was quite slow compared to most others.

Brandon was always accessible to the media, where he'd entertain them with sound bytes, and came across as a personable guy. People loved him and kept guzzling the sweet stuff. But he still couldn't hit.

Then Prince Fielder hit town, taking over 1st base, which moved Miguel Cabrera, another fearsome slugger, to 3rd base. Inge was out of a regular position. Brandon wanted to try 2nd base and the Kool-Aiders chugged another pitcher. After all, he was a shortstop in college, they said. Playing second base shouldn't be a problem. In their sugar stupor, they overlooked the little detail that a lot of people could do certain things in college very well, like maybe playing the flute, but that surely doesn't mean 15 years later they can pick up a clarinet and become "first chair" in an orchestra the next day. There's a big difference.

Inge doesn't seem to be working out well as a 2nd baseman, and did I mention he still can't hit -- and is getting even slower?

Now, after a decade of trying to rationalize Inge's presence at the major league level --  the sugar high seems to be wearing off most of  the Kool-Aiders. Begrudgingly, inch by agonizing inch, they're finally starting to see what's been obvious for a very long time. It isn't about Inge being a nice guy. If you're in the major leagues and not a pitcher -- you're supposed to hit. Period. Inge hasn't. Period.

My solution to this problem is simple. They should drink rum, vodka, tequila, Mad Dog, or even moonshine, but for God's sake, stay away from overdosing on the Kool-Aid. Getting rid of those rose tinted glasses wouldn't hurt either. They went out of style with the hippies.

Next thing you know, they'll be predicting the Lions to win the Super Bowl.

Lebron James never a champion? Maybe.

Not long ago, most NBA fans would have considered that notion ridiculous. Of COURSE he's going to win titles. Lots of them. They remember "King" James himself saying so on a much hyped video with D-Wade and Chris Bosh, when the former Cleveland Cavalier announced "the decision" to take his talents to South Beach -- as in play for the Miami Heat.

During that highly choreographed publicity stunt, replete with seemingly magical smoke and lights everywhere, Lebron prophetically exclaimed that they would win "not one, not two, not three, not four, etc", titles, and left the rest to others' imagination. While the "Big 3" shimmied and smirked for the cameras, the basketball fans in Miami went wild. So did the media in trumpeting the soon to be coronation of the King.

But it hasn't happened. During Lebron's Cleveland years, and even to the present day, we've all seen him dip his hands into talcum powder just before a game, then slap them together to create his "magical" dust cloud, as if something special is about to occur.

Many times it does. James might well be the most overall gifted athlete to ever play the game. He can score, rebound, pass, run, defend, and one never knows what bit of basketball wizardry he'll come up with next. Combine his height, build, conditioning, extraordinary skill, and dedication to the game -- and that adds up to something very special.

Yet, despite all the bluster and hype, Lebron has yet to be a champion. He led the Cavaliers to a title shot years ago -- but they lost. Same with Miami, just last year, when the Dallas Mavericks conquered them for the NBA crown. Close but no cigar, as they say.

Look around. These days the Chicago Bulls sit atop the East, and they're not going away any time soon. The Boston Celtics, with their own ageing "Big 3", plus a sensational point guard in Rajon Rondo, can't be entirely discounted for one more go-around when the playoffs start. And don't look now, but under the never-ending genius of Larry Bird, the Indiana Pacers are perhaps the youngest team in the league, flying very quietly below the radar screen as the #3 team in the East, and will continue to get better.

In the West, it's another crap shoot. The Okla City Thunder is getting a lot of attention, as are the Clippers, likely for their "newness" to being a contender. The Lakers are the Lakers, and there's a couple other teams that could be dangerous come playoff time. Meanwhile, San Antonio quietly sits atop the heap. Whatever team survives that gauntlet will present a formidable opponent indeed to whoever comes out of the East.

And that's the thing when it comes to Lebron. Forget about the "decision", the talcum powder, the highlights, dunks, and everything else he brings. It doesn't matter. Forget about his predictions of multiple championships like they were some sort of "gimmes" as well.

Lebron James is indeed a sly fox when it comes to basketball, but it might just be that he'll never get into the hen house.

And the hounds are coming.......